Introducing a new Copilot key to kick off the year of AI-powered Windows PCs
Today, we are excited to take the next significant step forward and introduce a new Copilot key to Windows 11 PCs. In this new year, we will be ushering in a significant shift toward a more personal and intelligent computing future where AI will be seamlessly woven into Windows from the system, to the silicon, to the hardware. This will not only simplify people’s computing experience but also amplify it, making 2024 the year of the AI PC.
The platform shift driven by AI innovation continues to grow rapidly and powerfully, fundamentally changing the way we use technology across work and life. At Microsoft, we are committed to empowering people and organizations to adapt and thrive in this new age of AI.
Over the last year, we have been at the forefront of this shift, innovating and improving our product experiences with Copilot, your everyday AI companion, at the center. From reinventing the way people search with Copilot in Bing, and unlocking productivity with Copilot for Microsoft 365, to reimagining how people get things done on the PC with Copilot in Windows, we’ve listened to feedback and doubled down to create an experience that helps people every day. We’re also seeing incredible momentum from our silicon partners AMD, Intel and Qualcomm, all of whom have introduced their latest silicon innovations to the world that unlock new AI experiences on the Windows PC. Together, we’re putting new system architectures in place to power new Windows AI experiences bringing together the GPU, CPU, NPU and the cloud.
We are energized by the stories that have been shared on how Copilot has inspired and empowered people across the last year – and we know our work is never done in our relentless pursuit to continue to innovate on behalf of our customers.
The introduction of the Copilot key marks the first significant change to the Windows PC keyboard in nearly three decades. We believe it will empower people to participate in the AI transformation more easily. The Copilot key joins the Windows key as a core part of the PC keyboard and when pressed, the new key will invoke the Copilot in Windows experience to make it seamless to engage Copilot in your day to day*. Nearly 30 years ago, we introduced the Windows key to the PC keyboard that enabled people all over the world to interact with Windows. We see this as another transformative moment in our journey with Windows where Copilot will be the entry point into the world of AI on the PC.
Over the coming days leading up to and at CES, you will start to see the Copilot key on many of the new Windows 11 PCs from our ecosystem partners, with availability beginning later this month through Spring, including on upcoming Surface devices.
We are excited to take the next step on our journey. There’s never been a better time to get started with Copilot today, whether it’s turning your ideas into songs, creating beautiful images and polished drafts to adjusting your PC settings, Copilot is your everyday AI companion for work and life. To learn more visit this link.
As we embark on this new year, we are filled with optimism and excitement. We will continue to build Windows to be the destination for the best AI experiences. This will require an operating system that blurs the lines between local and cloud processing. The year ahead promises to be nothing short of extraordinary!
Disclaimer:
* Timing of Copilot feature delivery and availability varies by market and device. Requires Microsoft account to log in. When Copilot for Windows is not available or enabled on the device, pressing the Copilot key will launch Windows Search.
Editor’s note – Jan. 4, 2023 – The blog was updated to share the latest timing of availability.